Tom Pullar-strecker

Rio Tinto is preparing to restart its mothballed fourth potline at its aluminium smelter near Bluff.

The price that consumers and businesses pay to be connected to piped gas will mostly rise by “about 2% and 3%” on top of the rate of inflation, in October, following a regulatory decision.

The Reserve Bank has voted by the narrowest of margins to leave the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25% in its first monetary policy statement since the war in Iran.

The sheer volume of information released in the Budget can be intimidating. Last year's ran to more than 3000 pages, not including 30 press releases and “fact sheets” released by ministers.

The Government will get its books back to surplus a year earlier than previously expected, in the year ending June 2029, according to the Treasury's central Budget forecast.

The Government will impose a small levy on banks, insurers and other businesses that are regulated by the Reserve Bank, Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced.

The Treasury's improved Budget forecasts that see the Government return to surplus a year earlier than expected in 2029 have been labelled optimistic by several economists.

Comment The Government will impose a “modest levy” on banks, insurers and other businesses that are regulated by the Reserve Bank, Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced.

Meridian Energy's hopes of getting access to about $80 million worth of extra water at Lake Pukaki over the next three years appear to have been shot down by Energy Minister Simeon Brown.

Debate within the Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee on whether to raise the Official Cash Rate this week was “rigorous and robust”.